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2025-2026 Biennial Budget Development

2025-2026 Proposed Biennial Budget Presentations and Public Hearings

Study Session Presentations

 

October 1, 2024

City Manager Elizabeth Pauli provides a General Budget Overview

Starting on October 8, budget presentations offering a deeper dive into how the proposed budget influences each of the City Council’s priority areas will begin. These presentations will take place during City Council Study Sessions.

 

October 8, 2024

Utilities and Infrastructure (Tacoma Public Utilities, Environmental Services, and Public Works)


October 15, 2024

Community Safety and Alternative Response (Tacoma Fire Department and Tacoma Police Department)

 

October 22, 2024

Affordable Housing and Homelessness & Economic Development (Planning and Development Services, Neighborhood and Community Services, and Community and Economic Development)


October 29, 2024

Tacoma Venues and Events and Internal Services (Human Resources, Finance, Information Technology, City Manager's Office)

 

City Council Study Sessions are held on Tuesdays at noon. They can be viewed live in person at the Tacoma Municipal Building (747 Market Street, 1st Floor, Council Chambers) or on TV Tacoma or tvtacoma.com, on the City of Tacoma’s Facebook page and on Zoom.

 

CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS: BUDGET READINGS

December 3, 2024

First City Council Reading of the 2025-2026 Proposed Budget

 

December 10, 2024

Final City Council Reading and Adoption of the 2025-2026 Proposed Budget

 

Budget Readings are City Council actions on the 2025-2026 Budget. City Council Meetings are held on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. They can be viewed live in person at the Tacoma Municipal Building (747 Market Street, 1st Floor, Council Chambers) or on TV Tacoma or tvtacoma.com, on the City of Tacoma’s Facebook page and on Zoom.

 

PUBLIC HEARINGS

October 29, 2024

First Public Hearing on 2025-2026 Proposed Budget

 

November 19, 2024

Second Public Hearing on 2025-2026 Proposed Budget

 

Public Hearings are held during City Council Meetings on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. Public Hearings will be held prior to the Council's Budget Readings. Public Hearings and City Council Meetings can be viewed live in person at the Tacoma Municipal Building (747 Market Street, 1st Floor, Council Chambers) or on TV Tacoma or tvtacoma.com, on the City of Tacoma’s Facebook page and on Zoom. To learn more about how to participate in a public hearing visit cityoftacoma.legistar.com.

 

On Lightcurve (formerly Rainier Connect), TV Tacoma is available within Tacoma city limits and in Pierce County:

  • On channel 512 in high definition
  • On channel 12 in standard definition
  • On channel 21 in standard definition in University Place

On Comcast, TV Tacoma is available:

  • On channel 321 in high definition within Tacoma city limits and in Pierce County
  • On channel 12 in standard definition within Tacoma city limits
  • On channel 21 in Pierce County

TV Tacoma is not available on Comcast in University Place.

 

Full agendas – as well as Zoom access details – for City Council Study Sessions, City Council Meetings, and Public Hearings are available at cityoftacoma.legistar.com.

 

2025-2026 Biennial Budget ‘Balancing Act’ Workshops

Community members are invited to join the City of Tacoma at two virtual workshops to learn more about the biennial budget development process. 

At each workshop, the Office of Management and Budget will walk through the interactive budget tool – “Balancing Act” – to break down the 2025–2026 Proposed General Fund budget by priority and answer questions. Submissions and feedback will be shared with the City Council. 

 

Access details for these virtual events are as follows: 

Wednesday, October 30, 2024, from 5:30–6:30 PM

Wednesday, November 6, 2024, from 12:30–1:30 PM

  • Community members can also follow this event by phone at (253) 215-8782 (event ID: 892 4297 1226 / passcode: 984575)  

The “Balancing Act” tool allows community members to play with budget scenarios by making increases or decreases to service levels as they try to balance the City’s General Fund budget. 

 

2025-2026 Biennial Budget Development

The City’s 2025-2026 Proposed Budget describes how the City uses its resources to serve the community and reflects a continued commitment to fiscal responsibility. Public trust is essential to every aspect of the City of Tacoma. It is the City’s charge to ensure it is effectively and efficiently managing the resources entrusted to it by the community. 

 

Even with a difficult fiscal environment, building and strengthening public trust remains as essential as the services the City provides to the community. Accomplishing this requires: 

  • Listening to community. City officials and staff effectively demonstrate understanding & concern for the community’s broad range of needs. 
  • Being Responsive, Reliable, and Efficient. Commit – and follow through – on services that can be achieved within current operational capacity. 
  • Demonstrating Accountability and Transparency. Communicate openly on the City’s actions to address community needs.

The 2025-2026 Budget is the result of careful consideration and thoughtful feedback from the community.

 

View the How the City's Budget Works video HERE. 

 

Community Engagement and Outreach

We will be discussing the development of our 2025-2026 Biennial Budget during regularly scheduled City Council study sessions and meetings, and access details along with specifics on how community members can share their thoughts with us will be distributed to the media, posted online at cityoftacoma.org/budget and cityoftacoma.legistar.com, aired on TV Tacoma, and promoted on our official social media platforms. 

 

Proposed 2025-2026 Biennial Budget

The Proposed Budget advances trust through a $4.7B investment in key community services. Graphic illustration of the Budget that includes the four primary budget categories and related funding amounts.

 

View the Proposed 2025-2026 Biennial Budget Book

 

 

View the 2025-2026 Budget in Brief

 

 

Capital Facilities Plan 

In addition to the City's operating expenses, the City Council also considers allocation of resources for substantial investments. These investments, often called capital projects, are planned over a six-year horizon through a document called the Capital Facilities Plan (CFP). This document is mandated by the Growth Management Act (GMA) and shows the City's desired projects, available resources, and alignment with the Comprehensive Plan. The 2025-2030 CFP can be found in the Proposed Budget Book.

 

Financial Dashboards

2025-2026 Proposed Budget Financial Details Dashboard: View the budget's financial details by fund and department for 2021-2022 actuals, Adopted 2023-2024 Budget, and Proposed 2025-2026 Budget.   

 

2025-2026 Proposed Budget Departmental Dashboard: View each City Department's financials by revenue and expense categories, sub-funds, programs, and historic budget vs. actuals.

 



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